The Demon King's Sweet Conquest (GL) - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Starting from Zero

“Lord Demon King, please do not be so crude toward the Highness to whom I have sworn my loyalty.” Amidst the whistling wind of a sweeping halberd, Barbatos pulled Floria into an embrace and lunged backward. The lethal strike landed on a pillar, instantly cleaving it in two.

Ignoring the little demons flying everywhere and shrieking while using magic to stabilize the pillars, the brown-skinned Demon King sneered coldly: “So what? Trash should be disposed of.”

“You are the guide assigned to Her Highness Floria by the Company. If you kill Her Highness, you too will face the Company’s punishment.” Barbatos’s expression was not heavy at all. One hand pressed lightly against Floria, giving her the strength to stand steadily.

“Highness, teleport.”

“Hmph, you dare use the Company to threaten this King? Then you’ve miscalculated—horribly!” The Demon King was thoroughly enraged. Her eyes burned with a crimson glow as she raised her halberd high.

The killing blow and the glow of teleportation vanished simultaneously.

“Vermin.” The tall Demon King’s disdain carried a hint of irritation; she urgently needed to ignite a new war to soothe the burning of her rage. The succubi on either side tentatively flicked their heart-shaped tails, approaching her with soft, sweet murmurs, fawning over her like kittens.

The succubi were lucky enough not to be slapped aside; the Demon King pulled them onto her lap. Floria was luckier still; Barbatos had her tucked by the waist, preventing her from falling face-first onto a pile of gold coins.

Having consumed the system’s daily mandatory teleportation charge, they safely returned to their original dungeon. Everything that had just happened felt like a nightmare.

“Wow! Talk about a bad start. Thank goodness I’m lucky.” After being frightened, Floria even forgot to use her “This King” self-address.

“What shall we do next, Highness? Being rejected by a guide is a serious matter. You will be unable to attach yourself to a mature dungeon, and for the time being, you have nowhere to recruit troops.” With those blood-colored eyes still wearing that half-smile, Barbatos offered no advice, instead tossing the massive problem back to Floria.

Apprenticeship was definitely out of the question; now she could only rely on the dungeon to maintain her lifestyle… Floria shook her head, tossing the messy thoughts away.

She held onto Barbatos’s hand to stand back up: “This King is no incompetent weakling who will die in a dungeon without a guide! Is dependence ever a long-term solution?”

After saying this, she looked around nervously and checked the dungeon system’s access logs.

After confirming that the weapon-wielding Demon King from earlier was definitely not here, Floria cleared her throat and said loudly: “Lord Barbatos, such a visionless fry is merely a small pebble on this King’s path to hegemony, nothing to fear. The urgent task is naturally to build the dungeon and become a monarch of character and power!”

“Your Highness speaks truly.” Barbatos bowed and waited to the side. Floria lowered her head to check the light screen for prompts.

A new line appeared in the construction tab: “Your guide has rejected your attachment application. Please click the random button. The system will automatically activate a one-way jump setting for you, moving your dungeon to a world that is not yet under control.”

Pah, I never applied for attachment!

Floria clicked the random button with force, her consciousness submerged in a searing light.

“Your Highness Demon King, you are awake.” Barbatos gently supported the little Demon King’s neck with her hand, turning her head to show her the current state of the dungeon.

“Barbatos… I understand the theory, but how did the dungeon… become like this? Was there a thief?”

Ignoring the ache in her neck, Floria felt she could faint all over again. Never mind the gold coins, treasures, and weapons on the ground—the crystal chandelier was reduced to a single copper base, the polished marble floor had vanished without a trace, and the ground was full of pitted dirt.

You call this teleportation? They might as well call it being fired during the probation period.

“Highness, why don’t you look at the Company’s prompt?” Barbatos’s tone was three parts gentler than if she were coaxing a child.

Floria looked up and down and found a line of tiny text in the corner: “Teleportation costs are entirely self-funded. If reserve funds are insufficient, items within the dungeon will be automatically reclaimed to cover the price.”

She nearly lost her breath; it was only thanks to Barbatos pressing her philtrum that her “demon life” was sustained.

Deep breaths. As a Demon King, one must stay calm.

“Lord Barbatos, our situation is slightly… problematic.” Somewhere on the level of standing naked in the rain kind of problematic.

“Yes, Highness. I have tallied the remaining gold coins; they have all been collected into the only remaining chest. It is enough to build one more monster room. Do you wish to construct it now?” Barbatos remembered a certain Demon King wanted to summon monsters.

“…Of course, why hesitate!” Left with no choice, Floria gave a tragic laugh and opened the menu to select the basic monster room.

After pressing the button, the meager remaining savings instantly hit zero. The sound of clanking and banging came from outside the room; presumably, the dungeon was growing a monster room by itself.

If nothing else, the construction system provided by the Demon King Company was truly convenient. If it relied on the two of them building by hand, a Brave’s grandson wouldn’t even live to see a treasure chest opened.

Transported by Barbatos into the monster room, Floria flipped her last hidden card in one go: “Come forth, this King’s first monster!”

She had nothing left to fear. Whether it was a Cerberus, a Chimera, or a Bronze Dragon… anything would do! Anything that can eat, fight, or dig—all of you, come to this King!

Under her fervent gaze, the thick mist dissipated, and a beautiful young girl opened her pink eyes, lifting her skirt with a smile: “Your Highness Demon King, the Dream Demon Xin Lian is honored to meet you~” Her signature sandy-gold long hair wrapped around her waist and fell to her legs, as lovely as a vine.

A Dream Demon? Floria looked at the girl’s thin, pajama-like clothes, then at her smooth wrists and ankles… her tail and horns were a bit like the succubi she saw earlier, but smaller—well, smaller in other places too.

Hoping her strength was sufficient, Floria forced a smile: “Xin Lian, is it? What are you skilled in? This King wish to hear.”

Xin Lian blinked: “Highness, I am skilled in taking human form, and I excel at infiltrating the dreams of intelligent beings~ Anything a succubus can do, I can do better~”

“Xin Lian, you are good, but… do you have any area-of-effect attack abilities? The kind that can fight many at once in head-on combat.”

Xin Lian blushed and wagged her tail: “Apologies~ Your Highness, I am only a 300-year-old underage Dream Demon. I haven’t learned mass charm or mass psychic lash yet, tee-hee.”

“Fine, I understand. I will find a ‘difficult task’ to entrust to you later.” Like cleaning the dungeon or reclaiming a wasteland to plant vegetables? Floria wasn’t so wicked as to send a minor out to seduce Braves for her own profit.

“Highness.” Barbatos leaned down and reminded her warmly: “The most valuable traits of the Dream Demon race are their powerful mobility and reproductive capacity. Their eggs, dairy products, and half-blood offspring sell for high prices in most worlds. The Company system also has a dedicated sacrifice channel for reclamation.”

While she said such things as if they were a matter of course, Xin Lian still maintained that lighthearted, smiling appearance. Perhaps it was the nature of Dream Demons and she didn’t care, or perhaps, that was the only expression she could make.

The suggestion was very devilish, and a Demon King would usually love it, but… apologies.

“Is that so, Barbatos? I hope you can grasp one thing.” Floria’s gaze turned cold.

“Please, speak.”

“I absolutely loathe scum who profit from weak targets in need of protection, like offspring and minors.” The tiny Demon King drew herself up, one hand grabbing Barbatos’s tie that hung down as she leaned over: “A so-called ‘strong person’ must wring profit from other strong people!”

“Your meaning is?” Barbatos’s smile faded, and Floria released the tie as the other straightened up.

Er, actually, she hadn’t thought that far ahead yet.

Floria couldn’t imagine what she could achieve with an empty shell of a dungeon, a potentially powerful devil, and an underage Dream Demon.

“No rush. This King has only just arrived in this world.” Posing on a throne would be a good idea, but unfortunately, the throne had been exchanged for the one-way ticket here. Floria could only turn around and open her arms.

“First, let this King appreciate the style of this world and lay the foundation for invasion without alerting the world’s guardians!”

“Highness, this subordinate will remain by your side, looking up to your silhouette.” Barbatos’s lips curled into a smile again, and she even reached out a hand toward Floria.

“Lord Barbatos, this is not the occasion for a hand-kissing ceremony.”

“Highness? I intended to support you as we go out to look? Your noble wings are not suited for prolonged flapping.” Barbatos didn’t mind at all, her words sweet as honey.

“…Is that so? Hahaha, fine.” Floria agreed guiltily. She wasn’t a natural-born Demon King and was completely unskilled at using organs like wings or a tail. She could use them, but controlling them was exhausting.

Calling it “supporting” was more like “carrying.” Barbatos was exceptionally strong, lifting Floria with one hand and opening her wings to complete the phase-shift. Devils were truly powerful creatures.

Floria also subconsciously phase-shifted; for this Demon King body, it seemed to be an instinct.

“Your Highness, am I to follow?” The Dream Demon circled nervously on the ground, not daring to take flight without permission.

“You stay here and wait for our return.” After Floria gave the order, Barbatos carried her through the earth. Their phase-shifted bodies faced no obstruction.

Light enveloped them the moment they burst through the surface.

Intense, warm sunlight was shining down upon the earth.

The wilderness of another world brought a balmy breeze; the scent of dewy grass and the sighing of rustling leaves intertwined.

Every breath reminded Floria that this was a vibrant, living world, not virtual data in a game. The brilliance, the temperature, and the freshness of nature caused an instant awakening within her: If I were to bring disaster to such a world, how could I ever be forgiven?

This place was better suited for planting and herding. If there were intelligent beings like humans, wouldn’t it be better to acquire profit through trade?

She slid down from Barbatos’s arms, turned her face, and looked into the other’s eyes.

She met them directly, falling into a deep abyss.

“Highness, do you like this world?” In those blood-colored pools, there were unreadable hooks overflowing.

Floria blinked, and suddenly her lips curled into a smile, mimicking the other’s tone: “Being honest with one’s own desires—this King does not believe that to be an error.”

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